During the First World War, Nelson Victor Carter exhibited tremendous bravery and heroism on ‘The Day that Sussex Died’ Nelson Victor Carter was born at 3 Hydridge Terrace, Latimer Road, Eastbourne, on 6 April 1887, one of nine children born to Richard and Harriet Carter (1). His father was a fisherman and his mother, a […]
Battle of the Boar’s Head at Ferme du Bois, Near Richebourg, Northern France, 30th June, 1916. The westward pointing salient in the German line, Looked like a boar’s head, perhaps an ominous sign. It had long ‘been a thorn in the side’ of the Brit And our local commanders, wanted rid of it. To fox the […]
On 1 July 1916, British and French forces attacked German positions along the River Somme in what has become one of the most infamous and controversial battles of the First World War. The Battle of the Somme marked the beginning of the British and French contribution to what has become known as the Grand Allied […]
At the outbreak of the First World War, Rev. Canon William Dawson was Brighton College’s Headmaster. The Chief, as he was known, remains our longest serving Head, having lead the school between 1906 and 1933. He instigated a significant rise in pupil numbers and saw several additions to the school grounds – the Great Hall, […]
‘Whatever happened to the Likely Lads?’ The same question could be asked of Friedrich Wilhelm Victor Albert, better known to us as ‘The Kaiser’. Before WW1, the Kaiser was a jet-setting celebrity. During WW1, he was a household bogeyman, always in the papers and satirised in cartoon and song. By the end of the War […]
Did you know that on 31 May and 1 June 1916, the fleets of Britain and Germany engaged in the largest naval battle of the First World War? When the ships of Britain’s Grand Fleet engaged those of Germany’s High Seas Fleet of the coast of Denmark what followed was a battle with the potential to change […]
‘Then and Now’ images Kieron Pelling has created a series of images especially for the East Sussex World War 1 website which overlay original photos taken during the period 1914 to 1919 with contemporary photos taken in the same place. The latest in this wonderful series, called ‘Then and Now’, can be seen in the […]
During the First World War, whilst Major Robert Thornton served as Chairman of East Sussex County Council, his son was fighting in Belgium. Born in 1865, Robert Lawrence Thornton had a long life of civic and military service. Although born in Surrey, it was with East Sussex that Robert became most closely associated. Robert served […]
During WW1 thousands of British nurses were dispatched around the world to care for wounded soldiers. Yet, thousands of civilian nurses, trained as midwives, remained in Britain to provide maternity care and continue the progress made in this sector in the lead up to WW1. It is well known that military nurses played an imperative […]
This is an overview of the story of my maternal side of the family during the Great War, the 1st World War; the war to end all wars, if only that had been true. Similar stories could be told by nearly everyone in the country, as every family was affected in some way, such was […]
